Pope Leo XIV will release his first major encyclical, titled "Magnifica Humanitas," on May 25, 2026, at an event in the Vatican Synod Hall starting at 11:30 a.m. The pope will personally present the document, breaking tradition by attending the launch in person [1, 2, 3, 4, 5].
The encyclical focuses on protecting the human person amid artificial intelligence's rise. It is expected to strongly criticize the use of AI in warfare and highlight challenges workers face in a rapidly evolving technological world [1, 2, 3, 6, 7, 8, 4, 5]. Pope Leo XIV signed the document on May 15, 2026—the 135th anniversary of Pope Leo XIII’s landmark 1891 labor encyclical "Rerum Novarum"—linking the new text to its historic commitment to workers' dignity [1, 2, 3, 4, 5].
The pope has repeatedly warned of AI's ethical risks, especially its role in conflicts such as Ukraine, Gaza, Lebanon, and Iran. He described "the inhumane evolution of the relationship between war and new technologies in a spiral of annihilation" [1, 2, 6, 4]. The encyclical is expected to provide the Catholic Church’s most comprehensive guidance on workers’ rights in decades, addressing social and moral issues in the modern world. John Thavis, a retired Vatican correspondent, noted that "a pope's first encyclical typically outlines his priorities, focusing on what he sees as serious social and moral issues for the modern world" [1, 2, 8].
Anthropic co-founder Christopher Olah will join Pope Leo XIV at the event to deliver a speech. This marks a notable collaboration given Anthropic’s recent dispute with the U.S. government, which banned its AI technology from federal agencies in February 2026. Other speakers include Cardinal Victor Manuel Fernández, Cardinal Michael Czerny, professors Anna Rowlands and Leocadie Lushombo, with Cardinal Pietro Parolin delivering closing remarks [1, 2, 9, 3, 6, 8, 4, 5].
Pope Leo XIV marked one year as pope on May 8, 2026, underscoring the encyclical as a defining statement for his papacy’s approach to technology and labor issues [1, 2, 6]. The publication event on May 25 will officially unveil "Magnifica Humanitas" to the Catholic Church's 1.4 billion members worldwide [1, 2, 3, 5].
